20190108 Viśvambhara Starts Kṛṣṇa-nāma-kīrtana in His House

The following is a reading from the new Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on January 8th,2019 in Chennai, India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

So this is a new chapter entitled

“Viśvambhara Starts Kṛṣṇa-nāma-kīrtana in His House”

Introduction: So today morning we had physiotherapy. Then we had breakfast with munglets and then the physiotherapist came, and I went and did cycling – 566 cycles! I got my new goggles which protects against the intense wind which we were getting recently. Then I had lunch, took rest and then I had tooth checkup. Some of my teeth are worn out but they are still going on! But I should not have any tooth operation within 6 months of my transplant surgery, so it is almost 5 months now, so we will see what the doctors say. After dinner, I am here giving class. So, we will take the list of words that you have trouble understanding. My voice therapist, had me saying these words. So, he will come tomorrow, so today you send your words.

This is an amazing pastime of Gaurāṅga, how He, after He got initiation, how He changed to being the personification of separation for Kṛṣṇa, known in Sanskrit as vipralambha. So this is the starting of the saṅkīrtana movement.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.215

sāẏaṃkāle bhaktagaṇera kramaśaḥ prabhugṛhe āgamana

sarva-bhakta-gaṇa sandhyā-samaya haile
āsiyā prabhura gṛhe alpe-alpe mile

Jayapatākā Swami: All the devotees at the sunset time, they came to the Lord’s house, gradually, assembling together.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.216

kīrtanagāẏaka mukundera susvare bhaktisūcaka-ślokāvṛtti —

bhakti-yoga-sahita ye-saba śloka haya
paḍite lāgilāśrī-mukunda-mahāśaya

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrī Mukunda Mahāśaya, at that time, began to recite the ślokas which were concerning the glories of bhakti yoga or devotional service. So these were recited at that time.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.217

tac śravaṇe prabhura premāveśa o yugapat samasta sāttvika-bhāva-prākaṭya—

puṇyavanta mukundera hena divya dhvani
śunilei āviṣṭa hayena dvija-maṇi

Jayapatākā Swami: The most fortunate pious Mukunda, had such a divine voice that as soon as the crest jewel of the brāhmaṇas (Viśvambhara) heard him, He became absorbed in trance.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.218

hari bola’ bali’ prabhu lāgilā garjite
catur-dike paḍe, keha nā pāre dharite

Jayapatākā Swami: Haribol! The Lord began to roar and loudly cry out! He would fall to the ground in various directions. And no one was able to hold Him! Haribol! So the Lord by hearing these verses glorifying devotional service, He became very ecstatic and started to shout out Haribol! Haribol!

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.219

trāsa, hāsa, kampa, sveda, pulaka, garjana
eka-bāre sarva-bhāva dilā daraśana

Jayapatākā Swami: All the aspects of ecstatic love were demonstrated by Viśvambhara at one time, including fear, laughter, shivering, perspiring, hairs standing on end, thundering voice, all these manifested in His body at one time!

So the gravity and exalted position of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, who is the pleasure potency of the Lord and who bewilders Kṛṣṇa, and is the ultimate shelter of those who have taken refuge in the conjugal rasa, are superior to all the mellows. The anubhāvas, sāttvika-bhāvas, and vyabhicārī or saṣcārī-bhāvas, simultaneously and fully manifest in her heart for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa’s senses. Therefore, it is not at all astonishing that these bhāvas, these mellows will manifest in the heart of Lord Caitanya who was absorbed in the mood of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.220

tatkāle bhaktagaṇera kṛṣṇanāmakīrtana—

apūrva dekhiyā sukhe gāya bhakta-gaṇa
īśvarera premāveśa nahe samvaraṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: On seeing the incomparable manifestation of the Lord’s pure love, the devotees sing in great joy, the loving sentiments of the Lord could not be controlled.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.221

prabhura sārārātri premāveśa o prāte bahirdaśā —

sarva-niśā yāya yena muhūrteka-prāya
prabhāte vā kathañcit prabhu bāhya pāya

Jayapatākā Swami: The entire night passed like a moment. In the early morning, the Lord seemed to regain some external consciousness.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.222

prabhura sagṛhe pratyaha uccakīrtana-vilāsa—

ei-mata nija-gṛhe śrī-śacīnandana
niravadhi niśidisi karena kīrtana

Jayapatākā Swami: In this way, the son of mother Śacī, Śrī Śacīnandana in His own house, performed non-stop kīrtana throughout the day and night.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.223

ārambhilā mahāprabhu kīrtana-prakāśa
sakala-bhaktera duḥkha haya dekhi’ nāśa

Jayapatākā Swami: Thus, Māhaprabhu inaugurated the performance of the congregational chanting or kīrtana and as a result, all the devotees’ distress was mitigated, or was destroyed by seeing the Lord’s kīrtana.

Caitanya-bhāgavata Madhya-khaṇḍa 2.224

‘hari bola’ bali’ ḍāke śrī-śacīnandana
ghana-ghana pāṣaṇḍīra haya jāgaraṇa

Jayapatākā Swami: Śrī Śacīnandana, son of mother Śacī, repeatedly, loudly, called out, Haribol! Haribol! Haribol! The sleep of the atheists was repeatedly broken and they were awakened. So the atheists who are averse to the devotional service of Kṛṣṇa, are always awake for enjoying sense gratification, and they are asleep for the service of Kṛṣṇa. Thus, they forget Kṛṣṇa’s service and yet because of Śrī Śacīnandana’s loud chanting of the names of Śrī Hari, their sleeping and ignorance was broken, and their hearts which were averse to the service of Hari, became aroused and startled.

Thus ends the 53rd chapter of Kṛṣṇa Caitanya the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as a devotee, in the matter of “Viśvambhara Starts Kṛṣṇa-nāma-kīrtana in His House”.

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare
Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare!

My sister Leslie is attending the class. Let us all give her a big Haribol! Welcome Leslie! As they say in Sanskrit, susvāgatam! Welcome! Any questions? Leslie thanks everyone - my purvāśrama sister. One question?

Mīnākṣī Maṅgalamayī devī dāsī: Knowing the greatness of Kṛṣṇa how are we to serve Him, knowing His sweetness?

Jayapatākā Swami: There are a number of ways to answer this. One thing is that Kṛṣṇa is Bhagavān. So Bhagavān means He who has all power, all knowledge, all beauty, all fame, all renunciation and all wealth. So, beauty would include sweetness but then, just like in Navadvīpa people did not know that Viśvambhara was Kṛṣṇa, similarly in Vṛndāvana people did not know Kṛṣṇa was God until He lifted the Govardhana hill. There always was some explanation. But He lifted the Govardhan hill with one finger for seven days. Then people approached Nanda Mahārāja and said, don’t tell us that your son is not someone special. He just lifted a hill, a mountain, for seven days! Who is your son? He said, well, Garga Muni the astrologer and guru came and told us that our Son would have the power of Lord Nārāyaṇa and that He would be very auspicious for the cowherd men and women. So, they never thought How does he have the all the power of Godhead, because He is the original Godhead!

Thank you, nice question!